Max Verstappen praised the performance of Red Bull and Honda during the pre-season tests of the 2019 royal races and assured that, despite the results in the protocol, the team must be among the leaders.
Although the pre-season tests in the Red Bull team went much better than last 2018, the team could not match in terms of mileage with its potential rivals - the stables of Ferrari and Mercedes. However, this did not alarm the leadership in Milton Keynes, and Max Verstappen, despite only twenty-nine laps on the last day of the test session, remains morale.
The Dutchman expressed his deep satisfaction with the performance of Red Bull and Honda throughout the winter and made it clear that the real test will take place in Australia on March 17, where the first race of the 2019 season will take place.
“You can always do better during the tests, but overall we had very positive days. We drove a lot of laps - over 100 on most test days. Everything works quite well and properly, including the powertrain - at least when I was driving the car. We are very pleased with our teamwork. I am particularly impressed with the engineering department's quick response to emerging problems,”said Verstappen.
When asked if the team will be able to fight for victory in Melbourne in two weeks, Verstapen answered not so confidently: “I don’t know if we will be able to fight for victory in the first race. Let's see how the free races and qualifications go, and then we'll wait until Sunday to find out the conditions on the track.
It's hard to say if we are on par with Ferrari and Mercedes on the same lap or not. We did not manage to drive the circle that came out with them. But I'm not really worried about that. They are very fast, that's for sure, but I'm very happy with what we have done so far."
Verstappen cited his long-running pace to give the RB15 pre-season benchmarks a positive impression.
“Our racing pace in these tests was really promising, but Melbourne is a different circuit and temperatures will be different. Everything will be based on finding the best car settings. The season will be very long, he added. - In general, if we compare the results of our tests and theirs, we can be satisfied. They drove many laps, but what I saw and felt while driving our car promises a lot for 2019."
The Dutchman, who this year will be defending the colors of the team with partner Pierre Gasly, said that working with Honda brings him only positive emotions.
“I am very pleased with the collaboration between Red Bull and Honda. Whatever we ask, everything quickly returns to the factory and is improved. We saw how the Honda engine works on the track - it has always been reliable and just the way we want it. I could not have been more satisfied."
